*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 3.5, this was super long, both in actual page count and listening time. not in a bad way but its a book that i would reread just due to length lol

I don’t pick up a lot of spy thrillers, but BOX 88 intrigued me, and I’m glad I decided to give it a listen!

The action follows Lachlan Kite, a veteran of a secret blackops agency known as Box 88. When Kite is snatched by a shadowy Iranian organization and held captive, it’s up to a small group of spies who have been investigating to Kite to save both him and his pregnant wife.

The story is told in dual timeline, with Kite’s Iranian captor showing particular interest in Kite’s earliest mission with Box 88. As Kite navigates the story to buy time for his rescue, we learn who has snatched Kite and why (just one of the many surprises that unfold as the tense present-day timeline plays out).

The narration by Charlie Ansen is brilliant! Overall, a great story and listen. My thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ARC.

Box 88 by Charles Cumming was an intriguing spy novel that vacillates between the present and the past. It shows how young, Lachlan Kite, is recruited by Box 88, a black ops spy group known to a select few. As a young agent he infiltrates and gathers intel on some people he’s been close to much of his young life. As a game of cat and mouse embark, Lachlan is both the unveiler and the unveiled. He is embroiled in the system trying hard to be a good agent while protecting those he loves. He never gives up that he is currently a spy or what information he has gathered. Even when loved ones are at risk he keeps his cover. This is not the type of novel I usually pick but the plot, the pace and the characters were all enough to keep my interest and consider another spy novel. I give this novel a 4 ½ out of 5 stars. I received this novel as an advanced copy. The opinions are all my own.

Box 88 by Charles Cumming. Read by Charlie Anson.
I loved the Thomas Kell series by this author and was excited to listen to this audiobook. I will just say that it took me about twice as long as I would have expected to finish it because for a spy novel it just wasn’t very compelling. Also it begins with the need for a monumental suspension of disbelief. Yes, I know about the Cambridge spies but they were at least university age and look how that turned out. Therefore, a teenage boy who just graduated from the equivalent of high school as a spy is just a bit hard to believe.
That said, the back story was the most interesting part. Not a badly written or read book but it just didn’t grab me like I expected it would. Also, way too long.

Box 88 by Charles Cumming read by Charlie Ansen
This is the 1st audio version of a book I have reviewed. I say this even though I enjoy listening to audio books (both fiction and non-fiction) and have a very large “TBL” -To be listened pile. This is the 2nd Cumming book to be spoken by Mr. Ansen. His first being the Moroccan Girl. Mr. Hansen is a handsome actor, cartoonist who has a 1st class degree from Cambridge as well as studied at LAMDA. His acting credits include Downton Abbey. I am jealous !
Now to his voicing Box 88. I thought he did a very good job. His English is clear even to an American and his ability to speak for multiple characters is quite good. The audio book is 16 hrs., so too long for me to listen all in one go. But every time I returned, I quickly was able to recall who was who by his “voice acting” So well done and I may have to look for the Moroccan Girl.
As to the book I never like to give away the plot or conclusion. Yes, it is espionage thriller and Box 88 is a secret organization not fully known by MI 5 or the CIA and does the dirty work with cover for the US and UK government. The key agent is Lachlan Kite a 20-year veteran in Box 88 with a special interest in Iranian and nearby regions. Like previous books by Mr. Cummings his spy has history and a family that is placed in jeopardy by his activities. In this case, his pregnant wife is abducted.
I won’t say more on the finish but I recommend either or both the audio and book version.

I don't know about you, but I love a great spy thriller, especially when the bad guys resemble real-world villains and the plot sounds plausible enough to be based upon a true story. Well, Charles Cumming's Box 88 checks off all of that spy thriller criteria. The story has two different timelines that focus on spy, Lachlan Kite. One timeline focuses on present day Lachlan, while the second timeline focuses on how Lachlan was recruited into a covert spy network. BOX 88 is an elite transatlantic black ops outfit that is so covert that MI6 and the CIA are not even certain of its existence.
This is the first book in the BOX 88 series, with the second book named Judas 62. I highly recommend reading Box 88 and I am now excited to read the second Lachlan Kite installment. Thank you to High Bridge Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest opinion. The audiobook will be out on January 11, 2022.

Box 88 is the story of a spy who works for a top secret agency - so secret that other spy agencies don’t even know it exists. The book has a duel timeline which follows Lachlan Kite as a young man and then as a 30-year veteran of the agency, Box 88.

This book as a lot of characters. The first half focused on introductions and back story. At first it was hard to follow but once I lowered my listening speed to 1.5 I was able to retain more of the story. Once I hit the halfway mark I couldn’t stop listening. Charlie Ansen’s performance as the narrator was so well done! His cadence, accents and inflections made dialogue easy to follow, even when there were many characters speaking at once.

The book overall is a satisfying spy thriller with several unpredictable twists. I hope there’s a second book. This audiobook version will be available on 1/11/22. Print and digital versions are currently available.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ARC.

Box 88 by Charles Cumming, Narrated by Charlie Ansen

Lachlan "Lockie" Kite is a thirty year veteran of BOX 88, a top secret spy agency known only to an inner circle of MI6 and CIA operatives. He was recruited young, only eighteen years old when he was given his first trial run mission. As the story progresses we get to watch him from a young age all the way to the present day, when Lockie is kidnapped by Iranian intelligence. A small MI5 group has also become aware of Kite's existence in this rumored BOX 88 agency and has been on his tail at the same time as the Iranians.

The story jumps back and forth between Lockie's younger days and the present and I enjoyed this way of following Lockie. As a student at an elite boarding school Kite's intelligence and calm, no nonsense, more mature than his age, nature has caught the eye of a BOX 88 agent and the fact that he is best friends with a family that is hosting someone that is very important to BOX 88 seals the deal that Lockie be recruited into a trial run mission for the group. On one hand, Lockie doesn't like the aspect of lying to and spying on his best friend and his family, but on the other hand, Lockie is very interested in helping to avert the death and destruction that terrorists have in mind.

Because we learn about Lockie from his young days and get to watch him try to understand what is asked of him at the very beginning of his BOX 88 days, I was also invested in what happened to Lockie thirty years later. It would have been harder for me to care about the older Lockie without getting to know and like the younger Lockie. The story does not end on a cliff hanger but it's clear that there is more to come and I can't wait to read the second book in this series. The audio version of this books is well acted, with the smoothness of narrator Charlie Ansen bringing Lockie to life for me.

Thank you to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.